Madeleine Musings

merry 2011

2011-12-23T07:20:00.001-05:00

Sweet And Scrappy Christmas Card

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CIRCUS!

2011-11-13T15:17:00.001-05:00

The Slosar family went to the circus recently...wow! It was truly amazing. I've never seen such amazing performers and the animals were fascinating. If you get a chance, take your children to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus!

Pelotonia 2011

2011-08-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

I would like to congratulate my husband, Justin, on an amazing ride yesterday. He raised over $1800 to benefit cancer research AND rode 102 miles!!!! It was a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG day for him, but I know that he is happy with his ride. On to Pelotonia 2012!

A Star is Born!

2011-07-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

Madeleine had her second dance recital in late June. She performed a tap and ballet routine. It was wonderful to see how much she has grown as a dancer in the past year. Here are some photos of the day.

Ptosis repair surgery

2011-07-15T06:24:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Just wanted to update everyone on our goings-on. Maddie had her surgery last week and is healing beautifully. It was definitely a scary experience that I don't intend to repeat any time soon, but our doctor was fabulous!

Summer Girls

2011-06-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

Whew! We've been at it again...last weekend we had a bridal shower and a graduation party. Today we went to Jeffery Mansion in Bexley. Wow, it is such a beautiful place and the playground is amazing! The girls love going here and I love taking them! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to Jeni's ice cream! And, on to the best part....the photos!

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

2011-06-12T19:54:00.000-05:00

I would like to wish my oldest daughter, Maddie Grace, a very happy birthday! We had a FABULOUS birthday party today at Firefly Play Cafe . All of the children had a wonderful time! We had cupcakes, snacks, and gifts! The girls wore beautiful dresses from Lottie Da Baby Boutique . Here are some photos of the day...

Komen Columbus Race for the Cure

2011-05-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Slosar family participated in Race for the Cure on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Here are some photos from the event! Congratulations to Sheila for beating cancer's ass!

Soccer!

2011-04-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

Fun with friends

2011-04-20T19:55:00.000-05:00

One recent weekend, we had a wonderful time with a great group of friends! Here are some photos of the fun...and Geralyn, thank you so much for bringing the baby crack (a.k.a. puppy chow)! Zach and Lindsay, thank you so much for having us over! Lindsay, you are so cute - congratulations on your baby girl!

Birthday Party

2011-03-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Girls!

THE PIONEER WOMAN book signing!

2011-02-20T20:55:00.000-05:00

I had the best experience yesterday! I attended the book signing for Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond. I got to meet The Pioneer Woman, live and in person!!! Quinny came with me, but because I ended up spending over 6 hours waiting, she went home to rest with Daddy and her big sisters.

Happy, Happy Birthday Babies!

2011-02-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

During this past week, my youngest daughter - Quinny, turned ONE!!! She's such a pea, it's hard to believe that she could already be one. Tomorrow is Ella's birthday and she will turn THREE! Where does the time go? The pictures are a bit of a compilation of the events of the past week or so...

I WON!

2011-01-30T13:50:00.001-05:00

Hooray, Hooray! I'm so happy to say that I've won! Won what, you may ask? Whippy Cake's What's Your Virtue contest, that's what!

Here is a link to my winning entry!!!
http://whippycake.com/blog/2011/01/whats-your-virtue-winner/

Whippy Cake is a fabulous line of accessories for women and girls...definitely check them out!

Merry Christmas, Baby!

2010-12-29T16:01:00.000-05:00

Over the past two weeks, we've celebrated Christmas four times and still have one more celebration! Here are some photos from those celebrations.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2010-12-17T16:27:00.001-05:00

Classic Red Square Christmas Card

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North Pole Express

2010-12-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, we went to ride on the North Pole Express at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway with my sister and her family. It was so much fun! The girls had an amazing time. They really enjoyed the train and the milk and cookies were icing on the cake! Here are some pictures from the evening...

Holiday photos

2010-11-20T20:40:00.000-05:00

The amazing Kris Knode of kris lynn photography (blacklick, oh) took some beautiful photos of our family for the holidays. Here is a sampling of those pictures.

Thankfulness

2010-11-20T20:21:00.000-05:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought that I would come up with a list of some of the things that I am thankful for...here goes:

My husband - he is a wonderful man who protects and cares for all of us. I know that I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate all that he does for us.

My daughters - Madeleine is such a sweetheart. She has a heart of gold and is always there to lend a hand to me or her sisters. She is also very smart and is learning how to read. Eleanor is my little monster. She is curious and silly but she LOVES BIG. And last, but not least, Quinn is developing such a cute quirky personality. She has Maddie's temperament, but Ella's sense of humor. She is my little cuddlebug.

Our families - they are always there when we need them and help to keep us grounded.

Our friends - we couldn't ask for better people to go through this journey with - thanks for always being there.

My work - of course, there are days when I wonder what I was thinking when I decided (at the age of 10) that I wanted to become a teacher...but my students really are my joy. They are truly making such amazing progress and strides this year, I am so proud.

I am grateful that everyone is healthy and happy. We have a beautiful home and the ability to provide an amazing life for ourselves. This post is, of course, just a snippet of the many, many reasons that I have to be thankful this year. One of my goals is to continue to recognize all of the blessings in my life and show appreciation for those blessings.

What are you thankful for?

Weekend Warriors

2010-10-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

So, we've been busy for the past two weekends. Last weekend we went back to our old stompin' grounds...Muskingum College (er...Muskingum University). We had a great time at Homecoming activities and then went to New Phila to spend the night.

This weekend, Justin and had another date night (for his birthday - Happy Birthday, sweetie!). We went to see Roger Waters perform "The Wall'...it was very cool. The girls spent the night with Grandma Jan, Aunt B, and Lynsi - they had tons of fun making chocolate candies (and eating most of them), watching movies and playing. Today, we went to the Circleville Pumpkin Show and had a wonderful time.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today we all spent the day at Circle S Farms. We rode the hayride, picked pumpkins in the fields, bought pumpkin doughnuts, hung out in the hay cave, and had lunch. We had a wonderful time!

We love our Buckeyes!

2010-09-19T08:37:00.000-05:00

Go Bucks! OH - IO!!! Here are a few family photos, showing our support!

Aortic Valve Stenosis

2010-09-07T08:57:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Elle did great during her echo and didn't need to be sedated! She is still in the mild-moderate range! Her cardiologist did say that we would eventually need to correct her bicuspid aortic valve surgically, but the longer that we are able to wait, the better. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!

I haven't posted about Ella's heart condition before, mostly because it has been stable. Ella has a condition called aortic valve stenosis. Basically, her aortic valve is not formed properly, causing a "murmur"...this could lead to a number of other issues, but so far, so good. Ella's condition is in the mild-moderate range and has been since diagnosis. We have been trekking to Nationwide Children's Hospital since Elle was around 6 months old to keep an eye on her heart. We are going back today and are scheduled for a sedated echocardiogram and EKG. Last time Justin and I took her for this procedure, she sat still and allowed the tech to get all of the pictures that she needed - so she didn't need to be sedated. I'm not sure what is going to happen this time...so, keep us in your prayers - first and foremost, please pray that her condition doesn't worsen, second, please pray that she allows the tech to conduct all of the testing required or they will need to sedate her. I'll update you on the results when we return.

Thanks!

TIRED!

2010-09-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

We're....on the road again...just can't wait to be on the road again....

Back to school, back to school....

I'm sleepy! Probably won't be hearing much from me for a little bit...

Life is good!

Speaking of Pelotonia...

2010-08-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

Justin did it! It was awesome, amazing, totally cool...from Friday evening's opening ceremonies to Justin completing his 43 mile ride....It was fantastic! Here is a quick photo recap of the events this weekend.

Opening Ceremonies, Homage T-shirt

Getting ready for the ride, and cheering on Daddy!

Yeah, Daddy!!! Ella was a great little cheerleader, telling the riders, "Great Job, Everyone!" and "I love you guys!"

Amanda Clearcreek High School has a great playground that the girls played on after we met up with Daddy!

Justin, we are OH SO PROUD of you! You have done an amazing thing, raising money for a cancer cure! Can't wait til next year! LOVE YOU!!!! xoxo

So Proud!

2010-08-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

I've been posting this on Facebook, but I just wanted to blog about how proud I am of my hubby, Justin, for choosing to raise money for cancer research by participating in Pelotonia. He has made a commitment to raise $1,000 to benefit the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Hospital. He has been training weekly for the past few months and is doing great! The big race is next Saturday. He will be participating in the 43 mile race from Columbus to Amanda. Friday night we will be attending the opening ceremonies (thanks to Barbara and Kip!) which will feature Augustana and The Counting Crows.

I'm super-excited to be a part of this experience, and the girls and I *might* have a little surprise for daddy on race day!

Photo Contest Winner!!!

2010-08-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

Quinner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!! We won! Won what, you ask? A free photo session with Amy of Baby Steps Studios! I'm super-duper excited and can't wait to see what she has up her sleeves for us!

Recently

2010-08-04T13:25:00.000-05:00

Okee dokee....Well, we left off with our lovely date night on Saturday. Justin and I went out to Knead, a local restaurant. They serve meals prepared with local produce, meats, and cheeses AND have local microbrews. It was delicious. Then, because we were right around the corner, we stopped at Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream...and well, it is absolutely SPLENDID! If you ever have a chance, GET SOME! The girls have been going to dance camp for the past two weeks (okay, Maddie is going... Ella has started to refuse to dance). Not much else exciting going on right now, so ta-ta for now! Hee hee, who says ta-ta anymore?

Date Night

2010-07-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! Big thanks to Grandma Jan for watching the girls tonight while Justin and I escape for a much-needed date night. I'm looking forward to drinking a beverage and eating a meal without two little moochers begging for a taste! I will certainly miss my little ladies (and will definitely be praying that Quinners will take a bottle without a fuss), but am excited to reconnect with Justin.

A Just for Fun Summer Giveaway!

2010-07-28T06:43:00.003-05:00

The ultra-fabulous Emily of Jones Design Company is hosting a giveaway on her blog (see button at side to enter). Emily has FANTASTIC style and her home is beautiful. She always dresses her kiddos so adorably, especially her newest addition!!! I'd really love to win, but I'd be happy if one of my friends won, too...kinda =-)

Lessons

2010-07-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

"Everyone should be...Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." (Taken from Saturday night's sermon study of James 19, 20)

Justin and I spent Saturday evening at church with Marc and Stacie and their girls. The message was wonderful and so pertinent to our lives. I often find myself shushing one of the girls or speaking over my husband or getting so angry about some petty little detail. During the past few days I have been trying much harder to LISTEN - really listen to what the girls have to say and to be patient. I'm also trying to really enjoy and BE PRESENT during my time with the girls this summer. This means I close up the computer, turn off the TV, let the laundry sit (unfolded) in the laundry basket and PLAY. I realize that I don't do this nearly enough and so I am really trying to make this change. My girls are too important to be put "on hold" for a silly TV show or facebook post. Anyhow, this is what I've been thinking about lately....

I hope that you are having a wonderful week!
Tonya

Random bits of goodness

2010-07-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

In the past week or so, we've had some good times...and some bad times...let's start with the bad. The girls (M&E) came down with fevers. It turns out that they had Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Ella had a horrible blister on the tip of her tongue and could not each much more than Jell-O without crying. She also ended up with blisters on her fingers and feet. Here are some sicky pics:

And on another bad note, our Evenflo ExerSaucer has been renamed the "Poopersaucer" (WARNING- poop picture follows)

On a good note, our anniversary was this week and Justin brought home these beautiful roses for me!

And....I have the most beautiful girls!

Justin had the past two days off from work, so we have been able to do some really fun things with the girls. Yesterday, we went to the Groveport Recreation Center and swam. Maddie is turning into a little fish. Quinny loved hanging out in the water with Mommy or Daddy and Ella HATED it! She refused to get in the water and wanted to go home as soon as we went near it!

Today, we had an amazing time at Firefly Play Cafe in Clintonville. The owners are super friendly, the area is clean and modern, the coffee and snacks are great! I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this place to mommies with little ones who are looking for a fun indoor play area. The cost is $5.00 per child (ages 2 and over) and the fun that they will have is totally worth it!

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy Anniversary!

2010-07-11T19:07:00.001-05:00

Just want to wish my wonderful, kind, loving, sweet, patient (VERY), smart, cute, funny husband a Happy 7th Anniversary (tomorrow)! I know that we joke around and say that it feels like we've been married forever, but honestly, I can remember just about every detail of our wedding day. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing man in my life. Thank you for keeping us happy, safe, loved, and laughing!

(Photos courtesy of Amy Clark [baby steps studios], July 2009...Oh, and Quinny was in my belly at the time that these photos were taken, so they are pictures of our WHOLE family!)

"I can hear her heartbeat...from a thousand miles, and the heavens open everytime she smiles. And, when I come to her, that's where I belong, and I run to her like a riversong. She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love. She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love." (Crazy Love ~ Van Morrison)

On a sadder note, both of the older girlios have come down with some sort of virus. We believe it to be Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Maddie has had a fever and sore throat. Ella has come down with a fever and has a nasty blister on the tip of her tongue. Get well soon babies! Mommy hates to see you sick!

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

I don't really have much to say except a few words of thanks to those servicemen and women who protect the freedoms that we hold so dear. We had a busy weekend - cookouts, swimming, ice cream, cupcakes, and lots and lots of fun. Thanks to Sandi and Derek and Ty and Jess for having us out! We had such fun! Here are some pictures of the weekend.

*Silly Girls

Dancing Queen

2010-06-27T19:55:00.001-05:00

I originally began this blog to share my memories of Madeleine growing up... She has just performed in her first real dance recital and I couldn't be more proud. It was tough to hold back the tears as I watched my "big girl" dance her little heart out on the stage. She may not have gotten every step, and she may have yelled out, "Hi Daddy!" as the curtain opened, but to me, her performance was nothing short of perfection. It's one of those bittersweet moments because I realize that she is no longer a baby, not even a toddler anymore...she is growing up before my eyes...and while it is a beautiful thing to watch, it's also hard. Here are a few photos from today!

Ella all dressed up for her sister's recital, Maddie admiring her reflection

Maddie after the recital

Quinny slept through most of the LOUD performances, Ella in the car on the way home

Our attempt at a family photo

Go to sleep, go to sleep...

2010-06-25T15:34:00.000-05:00

Having a rough time lately with Quinners....trying to transition to napping in her crib. Typically, she naps in the swing in the living room...this is becoming a problem because when her sisters are home, running around the house, screaming their heads off (oh wait, my lovely daughters don't do that...) - she wakes up! We've been working on sleeping in the crib for the past week or so, and it hasn't been going very well. She cries and cries and cries...I go in and soothe her, she cries and cries and cries some more...I go in and soothe her....until finally, I give up. I know that she'll get it eventually, but I hate to listen to her cry! (She's sleeping in the swing as I type this)

On a related note, last night Justin and I pop our heads in Maddie's room and find her sleeping on her floor on top of her comforter. It was so cute...sorry that I didn't get a picture!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'd like to wish my husband a (belated) Father's Day. I did wish him a Happy Father's Day on Sunday, but wanted to post it here as well. I love my husband and appreciate all that he does for me and our girls. I couldn't possibly wish for a better man to watch over us! Over the weekend, we went to New Philadelphia and visited Tuscora Park. Growing up in New Philadelphia, I didn't appreciate how wonderful this park is...but since I've moved to Columbus, I know that Tuscora Park is a real gem! It's an amazing place with so much for families to do!

I was able to spend Father's Day weekend with my Dad and Grandpa, which was wonderful! Here are some pictures...

Daddy and Ella

Aunt Kathy and Quinny

Maddie and Ella on the airplane

My sister and I with our daddy

Goodbye Tuscora Park! It was great to see you again!

Oh Anthropologie!

2010-06-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

Dear Anthropologie,
We certainly have a love-hate relationship. I love your clothing, home items, and general style...but I HATE your prices. I want to shop in your store - and I could pull up a chair and relax there, if it weren't for your CRAZY expensive prices. So, if you could do me a HUGE favor and send me lots of gift cards worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks,
Tonya Slosar

Zoo and silly faces

2010-06-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday of this week, the girls and I practiced our silly faces:

And on Maddie's (ACTUAL) birthday, we took the girls to the zoo after we hit up Dr. Stacey's office.
BTW: Mad's in the 98% for height (yikes!), Quinners is in the 78% for height and 50% for weight.

Here is silly Ella, wearing the balloons around her neck!

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, we love you!

And, the BEST and funniest part of the day happened before we even had a chance to see most of the animals. At lunch, Justin was holding Quinn on his lap when all of a sudden, we heard the most dreaded sound - THE POOP!!!! I look over and tell Justin that he needs to pick Quinn up. Once I do this, I immediately start laughing so hard that I am crying...serious crying...Quinn's diaper had exploded, seriously exploded all over Justin's shirt and pants (right on his crotch - sorry I hate that word, but that's where it happened!)...I attempted to take a picture of the damage later on in the day, but this is nothing compared to when it happened!

Hard to believe

2010-06-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since Maddie was born. She's such a big girl now, so independent, so smart, so funny. She has certainly changed my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here are some photos from Madeleine's fourth birthday party at Build-A-Bear Workshop. All of the girls had a FAB time! They danced, jumped, skipped, wished, and sang!

It's sumertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime....

2010-06-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

i have TWO more days of school left! photos above - 1. st. anslem's festival, 2. maddie and ella at the columbus crew soccer game, 3. maddie, ella, and quinny before traveling on memorial day weekend, 4. ferris wheel at st. anslem's festival

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter, everyone! The weather was absolutely beautiful on both Saturday and Sunday. We were able to "hunt" eggs on both days. The girls received 3, yes 3!!! Easter baskets plus money for their piggies!

Beautiful newborn pictures

2010-03-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Sara Patton, of Sara Patton Photography, took these amazing photos of our family in late February.
Aren't they adorable?

TIRED!

2010-03-17T12:39:00.000-05:00

Momma's tired! Three runny-nosed girls (two who have also thrown up) will do that to ya. I'm feeling uneasy about the amount of housework that I'm accomplishing this week...pretty much none...and I know that it will all still be here when I get around to it, but I can't stand a (noticably) dirty house. Right now, I have a load of laundry in the washing machine, a load in the dryer, a load of dishes in the dishwasher and I just finished giving Quinny a bath because she puked all over herself. She's having a rough time breathing, and I'm having a rough time breathing because she is having a rough time breathing... Maddie has dance class tonight and a beach party tomorrow at school.

Wishing that I was napping....

Tonya

Welcome Quinny-Buzz!

2010-03-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

I'm a TERRIBLE blogger! Just dropping by to update...Madeleine and Eleanor welcomed a new sister in February - Quinn Magnolia! She's quite a doll! We love her to bits!

Recents - Maddie

2009-04-01T20:25:00.003-05:00

Recents - Ella

2009-04-01T20:12:00.004-05:00

Summer Lovin'

2008-07-30T14:04:00.003-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!

Sisterly Love

2008-06-19T08:23:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple of shots from my photo shoot this weekend! I love my new camera!

Happy Birthday, big girl!

2008-06-19T08:05:00.004-05:00

I asked Maddie how old she was this morning and the first time she said, "two!"... I asked her a little later in the day and she said, "ten!"....Oh they grow up so fast!

Smiles

2008-04-11T07:40:00.002-05:00

I *think* that I saw Eleanor's first real smile yesterday. Those first few smiles are so special. It is like your children are finally doing something other than eat, spit up, poo, and sleep. I'm so excited to watch her grow. Madeleine has been doing so well with her little sister. She loves to kiss and hug her, checks on her when she cries, and will even ask "What's wrong, baby?"...

Maddie is doing a fabulous cheesy smile right now. She even says, "CHEESE!" while doing it. Here is a photo of her with the smile as well as a lovely outfit that she chose for herself.

Welcome Eleanor Claire!

2008-03-29T15:06:00.004-05:00

I suppose I should begin by noting that I now have another beautiful, amazing daughter to love and adore. Her name is Eleanor Claire. She was born on February 21, 20008. She weighed 6 lbs, 4 oz on her birthday and was 21 inches long. She is such a good baby. I'm so blessed! Here are a couple of pictures to view!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful girl!

2007-07-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm a little late. But, as the saying goes - better late than never! Madeleine's birthday party was held on June 16, 2006 (her actual birthday). Madeleine decided that she was a big girl and didn't need to take her second nap of the day...poor mommy! Maddie did great during her party, though. She laughed, played, and crawled around everyone. Mommy and Daddy opened most of her gifts (which she loves). We had food catered from City BBQ and cupcakes especially for Madeleine. She very daintily ate her cupcake! Madeleine promptly began walking on the day after her birthday! Here are some photos!

2007-04-23T16:42:00.000-05:00

Mommy and Madeleine

Here is the most recent picture of Maddie and I! Enjoy!

Good Morning!

2007-03-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

Wow, yesterday was such a beautiful day! Madeleine and I went for a nice long walk around our neighborhood. It is so nice to see all of our neighbors outside after such a nasty winter! Today is supposed to be rainy, but still warm. We are taking advantage of all of this warm weather. Madeleine has her 9 month doctor appointment in just a week or so... it is really amazing how quickly she is growing up. It seems like just yesterday that I was as big as a house and feeling her kick inside of my tummy!

My First Post

2007-03-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my first blog posting! I have been wanting to make a blog for quite a while, but haven't had the time or energy to begin. I'm glad that I have taken the time to begin posting pictures and entries about my beautiful baby girl. Madeleine is now 8 and 1/2 months old. She does the most amazing things - smiles at me, cuddles into my shoulder, rolls, bounces, stands with assistance. She brightens each and every one of my days!

I would also like to congratulate my husband on passing his most recent securities test! Great job honey!